X is reducing payments to accounts that excessively post clickbait and rapid news aggregation, according to head of product Nikita Bier. All aggregators will see payouts cut to 60% for the current cycle, with an additional 20% reduction in the next payment cycle.
Bier stated that habitual users of terms like “🚨BREAKING” will also face reduced payments. He emphasized that the platform aims to foster real creator growth rather than support those who manipulate the system.
His remarks followed reports from conservative accounts that they had received notifications from X regarding account demonetization. Dominick McGee, a notable creator with 1.6 million followers, expressed frustration over his sudden loss of monetization without prior notice.
McGee, who previously earned $55,000 annually from X, criticized the platform for catering to complaints from users who do not focus on content creation. He acknowledged his use of clickbait tactics but insisted not all of his posts warranted the “BREAKING” label.
Additionally, users like the account PoliMath reported concerns about being miscategorized as aggregators. They stated they are not aggregators but noted a decline in their payouts.
Bier’s comments reignited debates around the platform’s value, particularly with data analyst Nate Silver noting challenges in driving web traffic from X. He described the ecosystem as unbalanced, citing the dominance of right-wing accounts. Bier refuted Silver’s claims, calling them inaccurate.
Elon Musk also responded to Silver’s criticisms, labeling them as “bullshit.” Contrarily, other analyses have supported Silver’s observations regarding the platform.
